Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-04-16
WOMEN VOTING.
Kansas Election Some Straight Talk
About II.
Ist. louis Repuhl.can.l

The municipal elections OF Kansas
have presented IA most remarkable and
deplorable spectace-that OF women
entering ward politics in all the spirit
OF the Jesuit maxim that the end iusti-
iies the means. 1t is hard to read the
descriptions Of the scenes at the polls
and preceding the election with any
approach OF equanimity. They are
revolving to all the cherished traditions
that teach respect for women as one of
highest virtues in man. The leading
issues IN most OF these elections next
to prohibition was a subject which the
rules OF good breeding forbid gentle
men to discuss in the presence OF ladies.
Yet it was forced INTO the campaign
with all its attendant filth. In Topeka
the females OF the auxiliary branch OF
the local Equal Suffrage Association
called on Mayor Cofran and demanded
a full explanation OF the presence OF
harlots III the city in spite of the law
against prostitution. The Mayor tried
to explain that under the law these
women were innocent until proven
guilty. The political females would
not accept the explanation. The pro
fessional prostitutes were guilty. Why
were they not punished? This mayor
explained that it required proof in
sworn evidence Why, then, was the
proof not forthcoming? "But the
proof must be direct" he answered,
in an attempt to escape. 1t was useless.
A Mrs. Case told him they were there
for business, and the scene that ensued
is thus described in the Chicago Tri-
bune by an eyewitness:
Cant you get the proof7' the Sec
retary demanded Cofran cast an
appealing look about the room, but
there was no ray OF hope. A Comanche
Indian could have seen what Cofran
was struggling to avoid, but they were
going to make him say it, He tried
again.
'"The law requires that there shall
be direct proof. That witness shall
swear that this has been seen-so-and-
so; you understands
No, they didn't,
"Cofran was sweating blood. He
was turning like a wounded beast at
bay. They were waiting. Mrs. Woods.
the lady with the tender face and some
recollection of her girlhood, had crept
into the hall Perhaps the speaker
saw it was useless TO be politely eyasive;
perhaps he saw that if the ladies had
no consideration for themselves he
was not in duty bound to shield them;
perhaps it was desperation, or all these,
for he went on and told. Shamel
Same! The man stood in the middle
of the room, blushing at the offense he
felt he had done himself. The picture
was that of squaws about stake"
Is the picture overdrawn? Such n
picture could not well be. But let us
see further.
We read that of the two hundred
women who went to the polls to vote
and work in the election at Wichita
''about one-half were sporting women"
At Parsons a DR.. G. w. Gabriel ran for
Mayor against the prohibition candi-
date. We read that lone of the most
deplorable indidents OF the day was the
assailing of Mrs. Gahriel's character by
members OF the Woman's Christian
Temperance Union, when the fact OF
the matter is beyond question that Mrs.
Gabriel is one of the most high-minded
and respectable ladies of Parsons and
any insinuations to the contrary are the
vilest SANDERS"
At Leavenworth women OF all classes
and colors thronged the polls together;
women did the work OF touting around
the polls, which is genally left to the
lowest "bummers," hired at 50 day
Ladies'" the dispatches SAY, ''occu-
pied carriages of all kinds and ordered
them driven hither and thither to pick
up all classes OF women irrespective Of
color or social standing to cast their
ballots for their particular candidates.
Worst OF all we are told further that
"ladies set lunches and entertained
men in their parlors; that young ladies
used their charms to influence young
men" How lavishly these charms
were used is not particularized, but in
this species of electioneering, where the
votes of one sex are to be controlled by
the personal attractions of the other,
females who pretend to decency are
placed at a decided disadvantage in the
competition.
Every man who respects himself re-
spects women above himself. Every
intelligent man knows that the world
in which he passes his life is not fit for
his wife and daughters. Every manly
man makes it his first object in life to
create home in which he may guard
the communicating Influences to which
he is himself unavoidable subjected in
the struggle for existence. He excludes
from it all that is base and vile as far as
IN him lies, because he knows that il
the home is not pure there can be no
purity left. But how can it possibly be
so, when women leave it, abandon the
stronghold and descend into the cor
ruption that always has been-that
always will be, without.
The spectacle in Kansas is sad one.
There is no hope that Kansas politics
will be purified by the new element.
The attempt has none of the elements
of an experiment. Its result is as GER
/ to;, 90 Tho ra.,,1k af 20